


Fantastic Birds and Where to Find Them: Smelly Owls

by germankitty



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Crafts, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-02
Updated: 2018-12-02
Packaged: 2019-09-05 22:42:53
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 266
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16819909
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/germankitty/pseuds/germankitty
Summary: Three cross-stitched potpourri sachetsDear TheMightyFlynn, I've been housing these birdies (which Mr Newt Scamander somehow neglected to include in his seminal work for reasons that escape me) since last year's fest and am very happy to send them to a new home at last. Please put them to good use; they're house-broken, well-trained and – dare I say – reasonably good at their jobs.





	Fantastic Birds and Where to Find Them: Smelly Owls

**Author's Note:**

  * For [TheMightyFlynn](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheMightyFlynn/gifts).



> My apologies to JK Rowling and associates for all but appropriating the title of her book for my work. No copyright infringement is intended; I just couldn't resist because it fit so well!

****[](https://https://imgur.com/buX1Mvz) [ ](https://imgur.com/E5Hoipz)   


Kingdom: _Animalia_

Phylum (Category): _Chordata_

Class: _Aves_ (birds)

Order: _Strigiformes_

Family: _Strigidae_

Subspecies: **Strigidae foetidae** (Smelly Owl)

Smelly Owls are among the smallest of their species, even smaller than the [Elf_owl](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elf_owl). Their natural colouring is typical for the species, but they can also appear in all colours of the spectrum. (As you can see, they also like to play dress-up. *Le sigh*)

Contrary to other _strigidae_ , they're completely silent; however, they can be considered predators, as they prey on insects inimical to natural fabrics ( _e.g._ moths) or those who feed on the blood of various hosts ( _e.g._ mosquitoes). Luckily, they do not ingest, but rather repel said insects, which also takes care of any and all digestive issues. (Yep — no bird poop!)

_Strigidae foetidae_ are neither diurnal nor nocturnal; in fact, they thrive both in broad daylight, as on door handles or shelves, or dark, hidden spaces – like in an underwear drawer or linen cabinet. They are also fully domesticated from birth and extremely low-maintenance. For those and many other reasons they thus make perfect indoor companions for most human habitations.

The scents responsible for the subspecies classification are generally considered to be pleasant to most humans' olfactory sense. However, a certain amount of caution is indicated as there have been reports of allergic reactions to specific scents.1

This particular contingent of Smelly Owls2 has been hand- ~~stitched~~ reared by your gifter and contains three individual specimens:

1 _Strigida foetida casia_ (lavender)

1 _Strigida foetida casia cum vanilla_ (lavender and vanilla)

1 _Strigida foetida aurantiaco cum condimenti_ (orange and spices)3

Enjoy!

**Author's Note:**

> The format of the text and the general information about owls is taken and adapted from the relevant Wikipedia articles.
> 
> Annotation 1: I hope that's not the case with you!
> 
> Annotation 2: Also included in the shipment are two vials of aromatic oils (lavender and orange) for general upkeep and refreshment of individual scents. 
> 
> Annotation 3: My apologies for possibly bad Latin!
> 
> (Oh, and Professor Snape insisted on including a physical representation of his Patronus to watch over them; he is somewhat mortified that instead of the usual ethereal silver, the statuette took on a glittery rose colour. However, he considers it a vastly more palatable alternative to Gryffindor red or gold!)


End file.
